


Together

by SkeletalSailor



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, kind of implied Zack/Cloud
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 18:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3260384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkeletalSailor/pseuds/SkeletalSailor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"No matter what... you'll always be my hero, Zack."</p><p>What if Crisis Core had ended differently?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together

This was the end. He didn't fight it.

Zack watched as Cloud dragged himself across the stone ground. After months in a mako-induced coma, he was finally awake. Zack was sort of relieved; he'd get to say goodbye. When Cloud finally managed to get close enough for him to see his face clearly through the dizzy haze, Zack smiled. The blonde has always had that effect on him; him being there made dying seem a little less horrible.

"Zack..." Cloud muttered, forcing himself up to his knees. His eyes started to fill with tears. Zack didn't want him to cry.

"Cloud," Zack said. He reached a comforting hand out to stroke Cloud's knee, hoping it would hold off the tears. He wanted to see Cloud smile one last time, he wanted that image in his mind as he slipped back into the lifestream.

Something didn't seem right, though. Suddenly, it felt dangerous to be here, even though he took out every troop he saw. It wasn't an instinct he wanted to ignore.

He narrowed his eyes, leaning up slightly to get a slight view of the area around. It took a second, but he noticed it; a single troop, laid against the stone. Obviously fatally injured, probably but still armed, and aiming right at the spiky-haired man beside him.

Zack gasped. "Cloud, watch out!"

Cloud stiffened, turning to figure out what it was he was looking out for. But before he could even process much of a thought, the sounds of gunfire rang through the canyon.

"No!" Zack screamed, watching as his best friend's eyes widened and bullets tore through his chest. Cloud fell onto his front beside Zack, his eyes clenched shut in agony.

Zack tried to reach for the other man, prevented from truly helping by the amount of pain he felt with movement. "Cloud! Cloud, are you okay?" Zack knew that was a stupid question, but he didn't know what else he could do.

"I... I don't..." Cloud tried to calm himself as he spoke, tears spilling from his eyes. "I don't... think so." The blonde inhaled sharply as pain shot through him again. "It... It hurts."

"No... No no no," Zack panicked. "This is all my fault, I should hav--"

"Shh." Cloud slowly placed a hand on Zack's shoulder, forcing him to stop talking. "Don't blame yourself, Zack. It... It's fine. We'll be fine."

"I wanted you to... live." Zack tilted his head to the side, so that he and Cloud looked each other in the eyes as they spoke whatever their last words were. "Cloud, I tried... I tried to protect you and I couldn't even do that." Zack frowned, "Some hero I am."

"Hey," Cloud said. His voice was beginning to weaken. "No matter what... you'll always be my hero, Zack."

Zack was soon smiling back at him. He reached for Cloud's hand.

"We'll go together," Cloud said, holding Zack's hand as they waited for their time.

"Yeah." Zack nodded weakly, giving Cloud's hand a reassuring squeeze.

The next few moment were filled with almost complete silence, broken only once Zack choose to speak for the final time.

"I'll... I'll see you soon, Cloud." Zack smiled at the man.

He nodded back. "Yeah. See you soon."

Cloud held Zack's hand as tightly as he could until, shortly afterwards, he too slipped back into the lifestream.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Sorry for any errors in the writing; it was written kind of quickly.


End file.
